1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake disc assembly, and more particularly to a self-cooling brake disc assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle brake systems often include brake rotors that are subject to frictional forces in order to slow or stop the associated vehicle. During the braking of vehicles, kinetic energy is converted into heat via the braking system. The corresponding heat should be conducted from the point of its formation as efficiently as possible, since an increase in temperature of brake systems lead in most cases to a decrease of the friction coefficient.
One type of brake disc (or rotor) is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Application No. 2012/0000736. In this brake disc, a cooling member, which is disc-shaped and made of a metal material, is attached to a rotor member for heat transfer from the rotor member to the cooling member. In order to allow the heat to be quick dissipated via convection (and radiation) from the cooling member to the surrounding air, the cooling member is generally large and heavy, causing an increase of cost and a decrease of the efficiency for the brake system.